Shoe construction



Jan. 22, 1952 G, E, U ETAL 2,583,302

- SHOE CONSTRUCTION v Filecj Sept. 2, 1950 PI.'l 52 INVENTORS,

f. MusEBEc'K. C 3067/,

Patented Jan. 22, 1952 Boehm, Belgium, Wis., assignors to Musebeck Shoe Company,conomowoc, Wis., a corporation Application September 2, 1950, Serial No. 183,013

f The present inventionrelates to improvements I in footwear and more particularly the invention 2 Claims. ((31:36-476) relates toimprovements injthezinsoles for shoes.

Th invention has for one of its objects that of providing a shoe havingan insole which is so constructed as to provide for the support of both the longitudinal arch and the metatarsal arch of the foot.

It has been found desirable to provide a relatively rigid support for the longitudinal arch of the foot, which would prevent the displacement or falling of the arch in normal activities.

It is therefore one of the objects of the present invention to provide a relatively rigid support which Will occupy comparatively little space on the insole of a shoe and which may be made of of Fig. 1 showing in addition thereto a portion of the upper of the shoe attached thereto.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the reinforcing shank stiffener.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view showing a portion of the sole as in Fig. 1 with the reinforcing shank stiifener and fabric strip removed for clearness.

In the structure illustrated there is provided an insole I0 having an arch supporting extension I I. The insole may be scored transversely at the ball thereof as at I2 to give greater flexibility thereto at this point.

Secured to the face of the insole constituting the bottom face thereof when assembled in a shoe structure is a second piece l3 of the same material as the insole and of substantially the same thickness. This piece I3 at its outer edge follows the normal contour of the insole without the arch extension II and the inner edge I4 of the piece"l3 is straight, following approximately the longitudinal center line of the insole.

The forward edge I5 of the piece I3 extends to approximately the ball of the insole and is scarfed to provide a gradual reduction of the thickness thereof at this point. The rear end of the piece I3 extends to a point I6 of the heel and this rear end is also slightly scarfed to provide a gradual reduction in the thickness of the material. The two edges of the rear end are preferably curved towards one another as indicated so'that the rear end is pointed with the point terminating at the outer edge of the heel.

The piece I3 may be secured to the insole'by cementing and by rivets i1. 1

A second piece I8 is secured to the bottom face of the insole of substantially the same thickness as the piece I3. The inner edge II] of this 1 piece is straight and extends parallel with the inneredge of the piece I3 being slightly spaced apart therefrom to provide a channel 2Il.- The outer edge of the piece I8 follows the contour of the outer edge of the insole II]. The piece I8 extends forwardly to the point 2! which is substantially transversely parallel with the end I5 of the piece I3.

The rear end of the piece I8 extends to the point 22 substantially at the breast of the heel. Preferably the front end of the piece I8 is curvedly inclined at the point 23. This piece like the piece I3 may be secured to the inner sole by cementing and by suitable rivets like the rivets I1.

The edge of the inner sole Ill from the front end of the piece 5 3 forwardly and around the toe portion to the front end of the piece I8 is slit with the slit portion turned up to provide a stitching flap 24. Inside of said cut a stitching channel is cut in the usual manner which channel terminates with the cut. The outer edges of the pieces I3 and I8, as Well as the inner sole proper, are channelled as at 25 and 26 to provide stitching flaps. However, in practice the channels 25 and 26 and recesses are cut on the usual channeling machine before they are assembled on the insole. Reinforcing fabric strip 21 is secured by gluing and stitching in the stitching channel and flaps.

An additional arch brace in the form of a sheet metal plate 28 is provided which strip or brace has a rib 29 formed therein and when the plate is assembled on the bottom face of the pieces I3 and I5 the rib lies in the channel 20 between the spaced edges of the strips.

This.brace may be secured in position at its rear end by a peg or screw passing through an opening therein and into the heel portion of the inner sole but not far enough to pass through the inner sole.

In assembly the channel between the pieces I3 and I5 is filled with a plastic material adapted to harden such as sawdust mixed with pyroxylin cement. The bracin plate is then placed in position with the rib embedded in the cement and after the cement has hardened the resulting structure provides a strong support for the foot arch.

The insole constructed as above then has the welt 30 secured thereto and the upper 3| secured to the welt in the usual manner.

3 It is to be noted that the strip or piece I! extends beneath the scaphoid portion of the longitudinal arch of the foot and that the entire structure provides a firm support for the entire length of the arch.

The invention claimed is:

1. An insole for shoes comprising an insole body having an arch supporting. extension, a thickness of material secured on the bottom face of the insole and extending the length of the scaphoid portion of the longitudinal arch of the foot having its outer edge conforming to the edge of the insole, and a second thickness of material secured on the bottom face of the insole along side of said first piece having its outer edge conforming to the edge of the insole and the inner edge spaced apart from the first piece to provide a longitudinal groove following approximately the longitudinal center line of the insole and a rigid flap shank stiffener lying on the outer surface of said-thicknesses and having a stiifening rib intermediate of its side edges centered in said longitudinal groove and extending towards the face of the insole, said insole and thicknesses having a stitching flap turned up therefrom.

2 2. An insole for shoes comprising an insole body having an arch supportin extension, a thickness of material secured on the bottom face of the insole and extending beneath the scaphoid 4 portion of the longitudinal arch of the foot and at least a portion of the inner portion of the heel and having a straight inner edge and the outer edge conforming to the edge of the insole, and a second thickness of material positioned along side said first piece having a straight inner edge spaced apart therefrom to provide a longitudinal groove following approximately the longitudinal center line of the insole and having its outer edge following the contour of the insole and a rigid flap shank lying the outer surface of said thicknesses and having a stiffening rib REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

I UNITED STATES PATENTS Ayers Jan, 30, 1945 

